“Privately, Sugar Bear is saying TLC is using this as a ploy to get ratings for their reality show,” the source adds. “It just isn’t the hit that it once was…the fact that they are indeed filming right now when these cheating allegations surfaced speaks volumes.” Here’s more:

Indeed, the season four premiere in June, an episode entitled “3 Generations and 1 Pork Rind,” brought in just 1.73 million American viewers.

That’s 260,000 fewer than the last new episode of the show, which aired on March 6, and nearly 1.5 million viewers fewer than the series high of 3.21, recorded for the season two finale on Sept. 11, 2013.

Even more devastating to the show’s ratings was when it lost viewers in the vital 18-49 age bracket, scoring just 0.6, in comparison to the 1.6 it earned back in 2012. [via RadarOnline]

“This whole thing has just been grueling for Sugar Bear,” continues the source. “He doesn’t like people thinking he cheated on his baby mama. He is a simple guy who is being used and it’s just sad.”

Previously, it was reported that the couple had separated while they figured things out. TMZ reported that June planned to wrap filming the upcoming season and then take the kids to live closer to her relatives.